Sony NEX-7 high-end APS-C mirrorless camera first look

Sony has announced the much leaked NEX-7 enthusiast-targeted mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. It manages to squeeze vast amounts of the A77's capabilities into a body barely bigger than the existing NEX models. It packs a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor and 2.4M dot OLED electronic viewfinder into its magnesium alloy body and yet still finds room for a pop-up flash and Alpha hot shoe. Working samples of the NEX-7 have not been made available to the press anywhere in the world, so we have not been able to prepare a hands-on preview. However, we have seen and handled an early pre-production unit and have interrogated Sony about its operation. We have used this to prepare an overview of the camera, which we will expand to a preview when cameras with functioning firmware are available.

MSRP (Body only)

$1199

(With exclusive black 18-55mm lens)

$1399

Sony NEX-7 first look

When Sony introduced its brand-new range of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras in May 2010, the company was very clear about who it thought would buy the NEX-5 and its near-identical-twin NEX-3. Small cameras with APS-C sensors, we were told, would appeal to compact camera users who wanted to upgrade but would be intimidated by the bulk and perceived complexity of an SLR. The cameras were a sales success (especially in Japan), and their influence on this sector of the market has become increasingly clear, with Olympus's PEN E-PL3 paying extensive homage to their key design features, and Panasonic stripping-down its GF line from the enthusiast-friendly DMC-GF1 to the distinctly beginner-orientated DMC-GF3.

In practice, though, it wasn't just beginners buying these cameras. Many enthusiast photographers have been equally attracted to the promise of excellent image quality in a small, highly portable camera, fuelled by the ability to adapt almost any lens to fit. To its credit Sony has taken note and steadily increased the NEXs' appeal, with successive firmware updates to improve usability and add features.

Now, with the NEX-7, Sony is specifically targeting those advanced users with a camera whose key spec reads like it's come straight off an enthusiast's wishlist. First up is the new 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor, shared with the co-announced SLT-A77, that enables true 1080p60 video recording. Then there's the EVF that's been squeezed into the compact body (and also shared with the A77) - the 2.4M dot OLED unit is the highest resolution yet seen in a stills camera, and has an eye sensor for automatic switching with the rear LCD. Rounding off the additions are a built-in flash and Alpha-type hotshoe, all in a body that's about the same size as the Olympus PEN E-P3.

The NEX-7 also expands on the existing interface, adding two dials on the top plate that can be used to control a wide variety of functions, plus a conveniently-placed button beside the shutter that's used to cycle through their functions. The familiar rear dial and three 'soft' keys on the back of the camera are retained, as is the handy tilting rear LCD.

Outline view

With NEX-5N overlaid

The NEX-7 uses a new shutter arrangement, with an (optional) electronic first curtain. In other words, the camera no longer has to close the shutter then open it again to start the exposure, and according to Sony this decreases shutter lag from 100ms to just 20ms. This isn't completely new technology - Canon's live view capable DSLRs have been using it since the EOS 40D of 2007 - but it's very welcome to see it implemented in this type of camera.

Further indication, if any were needed, of the NEX-7's serious intentions is provided by the co-announced Carl Zeiss-branded E 24mm F1.8 lens (also known as the SEL24F18Z). This offers a field of view equivalent to a 35mm lens on full frame, and places the NEX-7 squarely up against the likes of the Fujifilm FinePix X100 (with its fixed 23mm F2 lens), as well as the E-P3. The NEX-7 will also be sold with a black version of the standard E 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS kit zoom.

Sony NEX-7 specification highlights

All-new 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor (shared with the SLT-A7 and A657)

ISO 100-16000

Built-in 2.4M dot OLED EVF with eye sensor

Electronic first-curtain shutter (cuts response time from 100ms to 20ms)

New E-mount lenses

Alongside the NEX-7 (and the updated NEX-5N), Sony has also announced three new lenses. As well as the Carl Zeiss E 24mm F1.8 mentioned above, there's an image-stabilized E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS telephoto zoom (SEL55210), and another fast prime in the shape of the E 50mm F1.8 (SEL50F18). While the latter is, in our opinion, a slightly curious focal length for a brand-new APS-C format design (we'd prefer to see a fast portrait lens in the 60-70mm range), there's no denying the fact that inexpensive 50mm primes have proven very popular with DSLR users.

Further lens options - LA-EA2 Alpha mount autofocus adapter

To further expand the range of lenses that NEX owners can use with full functionality, Sony has also announced the LA-EA2 adapter that promises fast autofocus with all existing Alpha mount lenses. This uses the company's SLT technology, with a fixed 'translucent' mirror and built-in phase detection AF sensor, plus an AF motor for 'screw-drive' lenses. Somewhat reminiscent of Leica's old 'Visoflex' system for its M-mount film rangefinders, the rather bulky housing also has its own tripod socket for use with larger lenses. The LA-EA2 includes the same 15-point AF sensor as the SLT A65 and original A55.

While this certainly expands on the range of lenses accessible to NEX owners, we're not entirely convinced of its real-world practicality (especially as, at $399, it's not cheap). We have a sneaking suspicion that it only exists to show that the NEX can be used with more than the handful of native E-mount lenses, rather than being a big seller. It seems likely that most people who own a range of Alpha lenses will already have SLRs to use them on, increasingly supplemented by 'real' SLTs. And perhaps the biggest attraction of mirrorless camera over SLRs is compactness, which rather goes away when using AF lenses with such a large adapter. But for those who bought a NEX and then discovered that they really wanted an SLT after all, it could well come in handy, and we can see potential for videography.

Tri-Navi control system

The NEX-7 features three control dials. Here you can see the interface the default controls for Aperture Priority mode with Aperture Value on the left-hand dial, Exposure Comp. on the right and ISO on the rear dial.

The pre-production NEX-7 units shown to journalists (including ourselves), featured NEX-5N firmware, making it impossible to make sense of how well the NEX-7's 'Tri-Navi' three dial control system works. Given that the existing NEX interface isn't ideal for the kind of committed enthusiast photographers that the NEX-7 is aimed at, it's clear that the most important aspect of the NEX-7 is how well it's been implemented.

We have, however, discussed this interface extensively with Sony and can provide the following exclusive detail about how Tri-Navi will work:

Default 'Exposure' control settings:

The default exposure options are predefined and cannot be adjusted. No matter how many additional functions you choose to assign to the control system, these are always available.

Exposure mode:

Dial 1

Dial 2

Dial 3

Program Mode

Program shift

Exposure compensation

ISO

Aperture Priority

Aperture value

Exposure compensation

ISO

Shutter Priority

Shutter value

Exposure compensation

ISO

Manual exposure

Shutter value

Aperture value

ISO

Beyond this, you can choose up to four sets of controls that can be applied to the dials (from a choice of 6). When using the camera, pressing the button on the front shoulder cycles between the sets you've selected, in the order you've specified.

Pressing the button on the front of the camera takes you away from the default, exposure settings and then cycles through up to four other sets of commands that you can assign to the three control dials.

This screen shows the function of the NEX 7's control dials in the 'D-Range' preset. Dial 1 controls the extent of DRO or HDR, Dial 2 controls exposure compensation and Dial 3 defines which of the two functions you're using.

Presets:

Dial 1

Dial 2

Dial 3

Focus

Focus Area Mode

Move AF point left/right

Move AF point up/down

White Balance

Select WB preset

Fine-tune WB in Amber/Blue axis

Fine-tune WB in Green/Magenta axis

D-Range

Extent of DRO or HDR

Exposure Compensation

Off/DRO/HDR

Creative Styles

Select Creative Style Preset

Adjust image parameter (Sharpness/
Saturation/
Contrast)

Select image parameter
(Sharpness/
Saturation/
Contrast)

Picture Effects

Select Picture Effect

Adjust effect parameter (where applicable)

N/A

Custom

Option1

Option2

Option3

The exciting option for us is the 'Custom' setting. As you might expect, this allows you to specify which function you want on each dial. There's only one Custom slot, so you can only create one personalized 'set.'

There are nine settings that can be applied to the dials and, once assigned to a dial, is removed from the list of available options for the other dials. There is also the option to assign no function to any given dial.

For settings that usually have multiple options (such as the different extents that can be applied to HDR and DRO), all these options are available as a long list to spin through, when assigned to a dial. This differs from their behavior when they appear as one of the presets.

Although we are not in a position to assess how well this system will work when out with the camera, taking photographs, it does sound promising. Our immediate thought was that we could assign Quality to the left dial, DRO/HDR to the right dial then Exposure Comp. to the center dial, so that it's easy to drop into JPEG-only shooting, shoot an HDR shot, then quickly flick back to Raw shooting (something we've found rather time-consuming on other Sonys).

After a review of the currently available lenses and the proposed lenses for 2012 I am saddened to report that there is not a single lens for this camera that I am enthusiastic about. It seems that Sony has tried to cover up some rather weak specifications with good looks and quality construction. Since I'm not the type to be fiddling with adapters and combing ebay for 'legacy' lenses, they can keep it - at least for now. I have a feeling that by the time the lens lineup is fleshed out the next (much improved) generation NEX-7 will be available and I will reconsider it then. In the meantime, I hope some new cameras with similiar electronic viewfinders will be announced this January at the PMA show - the 'what you see is what you get' aspect of this technology is very appealing.

In a "first look" review on the imaging-resource site the author stated :

"...when set to NTSC mode, the available progressive-scan rate are 60 fps (28Mbps) or 24 fps (24 Mbps or 17 Mbps), and you can also opt for an interlaced 60 fps (24 Mbps or 17 Mbps). If you switch to PAL mode, the options are the same, except that the 60 fps rates are replaced by 50 fps equivalents, and the 24 fps rates by 25 fps ones."

It seems to indicate that it is possible with the NEX-7 to switch between PAL and NTSC which would be a great feature for travelers like me haunted by horizontal banding issues in countries with a different AC frequency (50hz vs 60hz). But since Sony has not included this possibility in most of their cameras and camcorders, I was surprised to see mention of it.

Can anybody here confirm whether or not this is in fact true, or just wishful thinking from the author of the aforementioned review.

I would love to see comparison photos from the NEX-7 and the SLT-A77. One has a pellicle mirror and the other.... (I think) does not. I found the SLT-A77 pix fuzzy. Maybe without the mirror the NEX-7 will be sharper. Maybe. Enquiring minds would like to know.

About the cam : This is the best mirrorless cam on the market. It's not a P&S on steroids (like many others). It has all the flexibility in handling that a semi pro (or enthusiast) user wants. Congrats to Sony !!!

About the video : OMG. Is it really that hard to use an external wireless mic ? The built in mic sounds terrible and makes the video very unprofessional.

True, regarding ISO performance, but cramming more pixels also leads to images that have more details than D7000 at low iso... coming magnificently close to D3X (low iso - check imaging resource )... what is almost miraculous for aps-c sensor... from my standpoint it comes to personal preference (as always), where and when you shoot your photos... and good lens is big must for this type of camera.

I think as the EVFs improve, mirrored cameras will become less and less desirable. Ultimately a good EVF will be a better representation of your final image then what you get with an optical view finder. Personally, having a smaller body and not having a mirror system between the sensor and the lens is a big plus too. I'd like to see more high end mirrorless systems coming out and less effort put into DSLR systems.

Yes, indeed, low-iso images are nothing short than amazing for aps-c sensor, couldn't find info regarding lens used, but this camera needs a very good lens. Also I've noticed some moire on test charts, which is suggesting that sony uses very weak lowpass filter on sensor?

I can't wait for a review on the NEX-7.The Sony Nex manual focus system for use with manual nikon lenses beats the competition.I hope the Nex-7 combines the good features of the Nex-5n with a perfect viewfinder and functional optimized dials and buttons.That would be the perfect camera for my project ''Childhood Memories''.

As good as this camera appears to be, there are rumours that Samsung is working on an EVIL camera with a 36mm square sensor. I'm going to wait a little and see. Imagine a larger than "full-frame" sensor in a mirrorless design?

Besides, a sensor with a square format, such as was found in the days of 6x6 film cameras, is a wonderful concept because it makes much better use of the image circle produced by any given lens. It also allows you to turn a photo on its side without loosing anything, and without having to do so first in camera - a real boon for those who often use tripods.

Frankly, I'm not sure why Sony, and Nikon chose to go with the shorter and longer form factor sensors in their cameras at all, unless they ultimately value video over still frames. Squarer sensors have always offered a more efficient use of the lens image circle. In fact, it is that height to width ratio that helps make the 4/3rds format as attractive as it is compared to APS-C.

Well, I agree that NEX7 sounds like a camera that was worth waiting for... ...if announced lenses are good enough for 24Mpx sensor. What the system is missing is some quality wide angle prime somewhere around 14mm.

About 36mm square Samsung rumors: ful-frame (24x36mm) lenses will produce black corners on such sensor, as their image circle is cca 43.3 mm, and 36mm square has 51mm diagonal. But such camera would be nice addition to the market anyway. And black and white sensor would really be nice :)Square frame is only 9 percent larger by area over 2:3 frame for the same circle, so there is not much gain.

I am surprised that there are still no third party lenses for mirrorless cameras.

If you want to make efficient use of the image circle, then make the sensors round! What about those odd shaped hoods that are designed to block light from above but not vignette image? Or those compact wide angles whose rears protrude into the mount, with protruding tabs that assume the sensor is not square?

"rumours that Samsung is working on an EVIL camera with a 36mm square sensor." OMG where did you hear about this? If it is real all my parers have been answered. I have made many posts regarding a square sensor should be used.

"In fact, it is that height to width ratio that helps make the 4/3rds format as attractive as it is compared to APS-C"

I agree that's why i got a Panasonic G1 and i am only now considering the NEX7 Because of everything else it has to offer. But i still wish it offered a 4:3 and 1:1 shooting aspect ratio in camera.

finally an awesome camera by sony...was waiting for what magic nikon and canon would bring to this category of cameras...nikon has answered with a bunch of toy cameras...i hope canon will produce something along the lines of this nex-7, with a leica m mount...LOL

Surely if an ever-reluctant, foot dragging, Hollywood can produce major motion pictures with a RED-ONE digital camera and record albums can be produced on a laptop with ProTools, we ought to at least consider that 50 year old SLR technology is a dinosaur. Perhaps still the best dinosaur, yet a dinosaur nevertheless. We all know the day is coming, like it or not.

Considert this: the hand drill has been completely replaced by the electric drill, but the manual screwdriver, saw and hammer still exist, although "better" alternatives have been made.Some tools are so good at their specific task that they may share it with "new, improved" products, but they won't be replaced.

It sure looks good but I hope the AWB and CWB is easier to use (through the dials) and more accurate than it is on the 5n. Had a tough time getting good results in mixed lighting and worse at high ISO.

This certainly looks like an impressive camera, and you may be right about the end of the SLR design with its bulky mirror box design, and associated mechanical complexity; however, there is sill much to be said for the fine view one gets through a good optical viewfinder. The comparison may be analogous to an interior space lit by the best artificial light compared to one lit by natural light. Done right, a room lit with natural light is incomparable.

DSLRs aren't going away anytime soon. There are too many Pros who have a lot of money invested in them and their systems. Compare the Canon EF range of lenses to the Sony E mount range. Mirrorless cameras have a long way to go before they replace DSLRs.

when i was ready yo say this is my dream camera, somehow sony managed to screw it up: why oh why did they reverse the display hinge position, so now you can't lift the lcd almost 90 degrees in one quick motion like on 3 and 5, but in an awkward 45 degree angle in two (careful not to break it) moves. by that time your subject is long gone. fast draw is important to me (and shooting from the hip down)

Just wait for the sample photos, download in original size and make a 100% crop to see how it looks: do the same for a77 as well: the results are bad. Sony is playing this well known higher mpxls means better camera game.

Minolta's Hot shoe design is Way better then the old universal. It is quicker to attach and detach a flash , it is stronger and sturdier for flashes and don't cause foot breakage . And for those people that prefer the outdated inferior style flash shoe like yourself. There are simple cheep adapters that can make it like the old conventional flash shoe again

The auto-focus at 12 fps with the A-77 is really nice. I gather that the NEX-7 will do 10 fps but w/o auto-focus. This is too bad but I guess they needed something to differentiate them. Even 7 fps with auto-focus would be better.

I am very impressed with this camera except for one thing. It's listed as an all magnesium body and then they reveal that in truth it's only the top and front plate that are in truth metal. Why not make it all "tank" like the Ricoh GRDs?

And here a naive question: Will all e-mount lenses operate at the same speed? Does the lag equate to all lenses? Though it's expensive, I'm leaning towards the CZ 24mm though in my heart I'd like to see a better quality 16mm. Any chance they will expand their relationship with Zeiss and give us a truly fine wide to put on this puppy?

NEX-7 seems to address in my view some of the shortcomings that I felt NEX-5 had. I have had the NEX-5 for more than a year. The lack of a viewfinder has been frustrating, especially in bright conditions hindering proper framing.

Sony has indeed surprised us with its innovative NEX range filling a gap in the market. However Sony still lags behind on image quality. I have been shooting Nikon year for over 25 years. The quality and feel of the images even from my trusted (and now retired) D70 (in terms of correct exposure, color accuracy and clarity of lenses) surpass that of the NEX5+kit lens.

I will be getting the NEX-7 as I like the portability of the system. I am getting older and carrying 30kgr of gear in family outings just doesn't cut it anymore. I wish though to see better quality lenses and better in-camera and PP software from Sony before I switch completely. So I am keeping my Nikon gear as irrespective of megapixels count, Nikon image quality still shines.

I used to have the D70 but I sold it. I always felt there was something odd about the images. The colors were dull and the contrast was not what I saw. However the images were sharp. I found the Sigma DP1 produced more life-like images.

Where is Canon in all of this? Its long time rivals Oly and Nikon have mirroless ILC; electronics competitors Sony and Panasonic have as well. It doesn't seem plausible that Canon would cede this whole class of products to others. Unless they produce an ILC product line like the NEX range they will lose a lot of market share.

Have you ever noticed, when little kids get scared or busted playing hide and seek, they just close their eyes and assume no one can see them or problem does not exist? Well thats what Canon and Nikon are doing, or maybe I should say were doing for the better part of Mirrorless existence.

They just thought if they are not going to notice it, and pretend that Mirrorless is just a fluke, the consumers will do the same. But they were wrong. I don't know about Nikon, but Canon is doing something to address this issue, or at least I've read somewhere they will be doing something.

If it was up to Canon and Nikon, we would have been using Flipping Mirrors for next 100 years. Why? because this way they don't have to spend big money on R&D, aside from occasional feature update or slight lens improvement, aka MKII this, MKIII that. Thus they can afford to spend more on marketing and advertising to promote their name and sell mediocre digicams to consumers. You know, regular day in the office.

Sorry.. mediocre digicams? You mean whatever MKII (as in 5DMKII) is a little thing to you and there was no research but lazy days hanging arround and throwing some bucks on stupid commercials to maintain the world's impression they're best?

biciclistu... first of 5DMKII is not a digicam... secondly I did own both 5d and MkII and today I only own 5D. (I will not go into details, but other then mostly improved sensor, and video it was not too much difference) Video is nice feature, but again, they were forced by innovations pushed by other manufacturers. My point is they are making good slrs and not going to go out of their way to make anything revolutionary. If they are not going to move in the right direction they will become another Xerox or Polaroid.

Canon has made some quite experimental cameras in the past decades. For example T90(1986) had a multi-spot-metering system which we only saw again in Eos 3 in 1997 and apart from that, only again in 1V SLR and 1d series DSLRs. It was among the most advanced cameras for a very long time. Just think about it, less than %0.1 of this website's community has ever seen anything like T90's metering system.

Speaking of Eos 3, again, only maybe %0.1 of this community has ever heard of eye-controlled-autofocus, where you choose the focus point in the viewfinder by looking at it.

Canon has always been innovative, they're the ones to ditch their whole lens lineup(FD) so that they could get rid of all mechanical contacts. As result, all EF lenses work on all Eos cameras, ever.

They also made the first affordable DSLR, Eos 300d. Before that we were stuck with Sony F-828 as the best choice.

But they've never been as innovative as Sony. Nikon as well, they both play it safe(r).

Then again, if Canon decides to make a mirrorless camera system, they have the chance to blow all the others out of water.

Just think about it, they could use all their EF and EF-S lenses on that body, since everything with those lenses are electronicly coupled.

But then again, the camera would have to be about the same size as NEX. Even longer since they'd use the EF adapters. Or they could ignore their current lineup and use a smaller sensor with lenses designed just for that system. I wouldn't care in such a system because I would be stuck with only a few lenses. Any camera system can only be as good as the lenses in that system.

Sony's advantage is the fact that E mount is actually for their video cameras. Nex-3,5 and 7 are just the tip of the iceberg. They have one basic and one very advanced camcoders in that system. They're better than HDSLRs in many ways. If the professionals catch up, they'll be making lots of lenses for that system.

In short, NEX system will probably live on if pro-video-shooters(TV and Cinema) catches on with that system. If Canon or Nikon would come up with a system with smaller sensors, they'd be only producing for the everyday shooters, whereas Sony is producing for a market that's much larger. But if Canon offers a small camera with APS sized sensor which could be coupled with their EF lenses(and a couple of smaller lenses which would make the consumers happy), it'll probably hurt the sales of Sony and 4/3 companies a lot.

I love how people can read the minds of Canon and Nikon, imagine some sort of thoughts or motivations, and then condemn those companies for what was imagined. Don't worry about Canon and Nikon, they will be fine. They were making cameras many years before you were born and somehow stayed in business without your guidance. Buy the camera you like. BTW Nikon and Canon are both fretting that you don't brush properly, aren't saving enough for retirement, and are bound to be headed for disaster your own self.

The key words are: been, in past and before. Yes it's obvious that they have been good and made some good decisions in past, but we are talking now. Polaroid and Kodak and Xerox all were super companies that decided not to change, got too comfortable with profit margins and lost most within few decades. But today's pace is much faster, if Canikon will not release something to compete with m4/3 and NEX soon, they will loose most of it's consumer market share within 5 years.

Oh, I thought digicam comes from digital camera which DSRLs are plenty :-) .. but again, your point is fair and I know you're right. But somehow their innovations still aren't been beaten yet, 5DMKII is still leading the pack even is 3 years old now

biciclistu, You are correct about 5DMKII and other pro cameras by both Canon and Nikon, they are all great, but its only small % of their market share, compared to their digicams (p&s) and entry level dSLRs.I'm not sure if it makes lots of sense for Canon releasing mirrorless body with EF mount. Yes it has electronic connectors, so it will work, you are correct, but the size would still have to be almost identical to current models. (if they put FF on it will will make sense but also they'd have to make sure to make super nice EVF)

You are right about Sony's pro line video/cine cameras. Sony F3 and others are hot items now and replacing 5D and 7D for low budget production and small features. (Canon's lack of EVF and poor video compression are not helping them at all) Its fun to see Sony's 2MP sensor out resolving Canon's 21MP in video.Anyways its very exciting times, I can't wait to see what Canon decision will be. But if I were to bet I'd put my money on new mount, maybe m-EF.

I, too, think that Nikon and Canon are moving too slowly. Nikon's Q system may debut with an undersized sensor AND a new lens system. They could do like Sony have, and design a shallow mirror less with an APS-C sensor, or larger, and make adapters so that we can use f-mount lenses.

It's not about consumers, necessarily, it's about the tech simply overtaking the past. If eye-level EVFs get good enough, there will be no need for prisms. The current crop of SLR's is too big; it dwarfs SLR's of old, and yet, SLRs get bigger and bigger every year. (Evidently, that means 'professional'.)

NEX is a GREAT way to think. I'd love a 35mm~ sensor to put an adapter and my Nikon glass on, but with an eye-level EVF, and good adapters not to mention dials and a hotshoe, I'm sold.

My need for Nikon ergonomics was flushed away when I stopped shooting sports. I want light, powerful, and the ability to use my F-mount lenses.

Obican, multi-spot metering is neither an "experimental" feature nor was Canon first with it. Within the Minolta range, the 9000 beat the T90 with a year, and you could get multi-spot metering on all Miinolta cameras in the i and xi series featuring a card system.

But the Olympus OM-4 was the first AFAIK.

Canon's most experimental contribution ever is the all-electronic mount.

Very interesting combination of attributes, and promising. But aside from the question marks over pixel density issues and lenses that appear to be sized for similar "bigger is serious" marketing, I can see a potentially fatal flaw. Every camera I have ever used that has control wheels projecting from the back surface has suffered from the same problem, that they are hugely susceptible to being knocked off setting every time the camera brushes against your body.

Ergonomically this sort of control is just about perfect, but even with strong detents/friction you can never be sure the control is where you left it. You have to check actual settings every damn time before shooting, which ruins the flow of seeing, else risk ruined shots. Unless Sony have ensured the wheels are only "live" with the shutter is depressed, this is likely to be a huge issue. I look forward to reviews.

I guess the most likely time the protruding dials would be accidentally moved would be when taking the camera out of a bag. However since the camera would be switched off at this point, and the 7s dials don't have fixed positions (unlike foe example a traditional shutter speed dial) this problem should not occur.

Not sure if I explained that as clearly as I would like, but hopefully you get what I mean.

The NEX-7 looks like a awesome camera with a very high price. I hope Sony migrates the compact body with viewfinder form factor down to the NEX-5 range. With a 16MP sensor and an $800 price, THAT would be a compelling camera.

No AE/AF lock? My camera has two separate buttons AE and AF lock and in some circumstances I find very convevient to use theese two controls only.Many people think that focus and aperture have both to be adjusted at every click.

Not necasserily so. The sensor has between 800% and 1000% more area than a PS- so in terms of pixel density it would be like a g-whatever - with about 1.2 mpx. It has 40% more area than the 4/3 sensors.

Metabones lists an M mount to NEX adapter which allows using Leica prime lenses on the Sony. I have been using a GF-1 which allows the same body/lens match up with an adapter, but the wonderful little 4/3's format GF-1 has a disadvantage that the Sony NEX7 has corrected. That is a built in EVF rather than the inconvenient clip on EVF used on the Panasonic. So while Panasonic has been "dumbing-down" the GF series toward the consumer level, Sony may have hit one out of the ballpark with the NEX7. I'll have to wait to see the product before commenting further.

@obican Here's the problem with that line of thinking (for me, at least). I've got a D700 that I'll use when I can carry a large camera and lens. There are a lot of places where you aren't allowed to carry what's commonly referred to as a "professional camera." Usually that means you can carry a point and shoot, but nothing with interchangeable lenses. With a small pancake something like the Panasonic, Olympus or Samsung offerings might slip by. An NEX with a big beer can attached to it won't fly, though.

I had a Canon FD 50/1.4, 70-210/4(both f/4 all the way) and a TS-35/2.8 Tilt Shift, all in Canon FD mount. If I wanted to buy them now, they'd cost about 500€. All are excellently sharp lenses, only they suffer from purple fringing when wide open. And I have a Tilt-Shift :) which is cool.Also I have 18-55 and 16/2.8 kit lenses. If I wanted to have a equilvent set in 4/3, I'd pay about the same as a Nikon set because most of those cheap lenses wouldn't be practical on 4/3(50mm would be 100mm etc). Instead, I'd just invest in a Nikon set AND buy a NEX and use all those Nikon lenses on my NEX :D Why not? Also it would allow me to take my Nikon Body with me OR take the NEX with me, and use all the same lenses(D series).

I usually take 50, 16 and the TS with me. 50 and 16 are pocketable, TS is usually attached. No bags. People hardly take notice because it's always under my arm, pointed down, hiding. When taken out to shoot, it does it quickly. Usually only problem is that it's SO loud.

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There are lots of great old lenses designed for SLRs. Now you use them on a mirrorless camera with an adapter. How does image quality compare using the full-frame Sony A7 vs. the APS-C Sony NEX-7 with/without a focal reducer?

The holidays are a great time to take pictures — and they're a great time to get a camera for yourself or for a loved one. With more than 50 cameras going through the hands of the DPReview team over the year, we've seen it all (or so we think). Based on our collective knowledge we hope this guide will help you make an informed decision on which camera will fit your needs. In part 1, we look at enthusiast interchangeable lens cameras.

Just posted: Our in-depth review of the Sony Alpha NEX-7. With its 24MP APS-C sensor and high-resolution EVF encased in a compact body with lots of external controls, the NEX-7 is one of the most desirable cameras of the year for the enthusiast photographer - on paper at least. But at a body-only price around $1000, it's far from cheap. So does it live up to the expectations and hype? Read our 28-page in-depth review to find out.

When Sony first introduced its range of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras in May 2010, the company was very clear about who it thought would buy the NEX-5 and its near-identical-twin NEX-3. Small cameras with APS-C sensors, we were told, would appeal to compact camera users who wanted to upgrade but would be intimidated by the bulk and perceived complexity of an SLR. The cameras were a sales success (especially in Japan), and their influence on this sector of the market has become increasingly clear, with Olympus's PEN E-PL3 paying extensive homage to their key design features, and Panasonic stripping-down its GF line from the enthusiast-friendly DMC-GF1 to the distinctly beginner-orientated DMC-GF3.

Latest in-depth reviews

The Fujifilm X-H1 is a top-of-the-range 24MP mirrorless camera with in-body stabilization and the company's most advanced array of video capabilities. We've tested the X-T2's big brother extensively to see how it performs.

Panasonic's Lumix DC-GX9 is a rangefinder-style mirrorless camera that offers quite a few upgrades over its predecessor, with a lower price tag to boot. We've spent the weekend with the GX9 and have plenty of thoughts to share, along with an initial set of sample photos.

Panasonic's new premium compact boasts a 24-360mm equiv. F3.3-6.4 zoom lens, making it the longest reaching 1"-type pocket camera on the market. We spent a little time with it; read our first impressions.

Latest buying guides

Quick. Unpredictable. Unwilling to sit still. Kids really are the ultimate test for a camera's autofocus system. We've compiled a short list of what we think are the best options for parents trying to keep up with young kids, and narrowed it down to one best all-rounder.

Landscape photography isn't as simple as just showing up in front of a beautiful view and taking a couple of pictures. Landscape shooters have a unique set of needs and requirements for their gear, and we've selected some of our favorites in this buying guide.

If you're a serious enthusiast or working pro, the very best digital cameras on the market will cost you at least $2000. That's a lot of money, but generally speaking these cameras offer the highest resolution, the best build quality and the most advanced video specs out there, as well as fast burst rates and top-notch autofocus.

Are you a speed freak? Hungry to photograph anything that goes zoom? Or perhaps you just want to get Sports Illustrated level shots of your child's soccer game. Keep reading to find out which cameras we think are best for sports and action shooting.

At this year's CP+ show in Yokohama, we sat down with senior executives from several major manufacturers, including Canon. Topics of conversation included Canon's ambitions for high-end mirrorless cameras, and the importance of responding to the demands of the smartphone generation.

We were recently able to follow local frame builder Max Kullaway as he created one of his AirLandSea bikes. Here are our picks of the photos we got, as the project progressed from bare tubes all the way to rideable bicycle.

On paper, the Sony a7 III is a tempting option for photographers who've been considering a switch to full-frame mirrorless. But how does its image quality stack up? We compare it to the Mark II and a few of its other peers.

Google Lens uses artificial intelligence and 'computer vision' to identify and provide information about businesses, landmarks and other objects using your phone's camera. And now it's available for iPhone users, too.

In the job posting, the Times' describes this role as "one of the most important and high-profile jobs in visual journalism." If you're looking for a high profile job in photojournalism, you could do a lot worse than being Photo Director at The Gray Lady.

According to a recent report out of South Korea, Samsung is increasing production of its ISOCELL image sensors in a bid towards market leadership for image sensors. To reach this goal, Samsung will have to dethrone current market leader Sony... no small task.

In this video, large format photographer Ben Horne shows off the incredible resolving power of 8x10 slide film by pixel peeping a massive 709.6-megapixel drum scan of one of his landscape shots. And you thought 100MP medium format was big...

Photographer Wendy Teal tells the heart-breaking story of a wedding she shot at a hospital on just 24-hours notice. The mother of the bride had been given one week to live, and Wendy responded to the couple's desperate social media plea for someone to capture their special day.

Syrp has announced the Magic Carpet Pro: a slider that offers filmmakers an 'infinitely extendable' range thanks to built-in track levers that let you connect lengths of track without the use of tools.

At CP+ we sat down with executives from several major manufacturers. Among them was Kenji Tanaka, of Sony, who talked to us about the a7 III as well as its plans to attract more pro shooters – without ignoring APS-C and entry-level customers.

How do you shoot macro photography on an 18x24cm large format wet plate camera? You 'connect' two large format cameras together! That's how wet plate photographer Markus Hofstaetter did it, and you can read about the whole process in this article.

The Fujifilm X-H1 is a top-of-the-range 24MP mirrorless camera with in-body stabilization and the company's most advanced array of video capabilities. We've tested the X-T2's big brother extensively to see how it performs.

Motorsports photojournalist Jamey Price recently flew to Canada with Lamborghini for the car company's Winter Accademia 2018, where clients get to drive the latest Lamborghini supercars on snow and ice. Yes... it is exactly as awesome as it sounds.

For the Pixel 2 smartphone's Motion Photos feature, Google built on its existing Motion Stills technology by adding advanced stabilization that combines software and hardware capabilities to optimize trimming and stabilization.

"After his camera was stolen from his room in the orphanage, he switched to an iPhone for his photography, reasoning that the image quality of a big, heavy camera was less important than the freedom of a cell phone. 'Quality? Screw it, I’d sketch things with a pencil if I could draw,' he wrote in a blog post."

Chinese manufacturer Vivo has announced some AI-powered Super HDR tech to compete with Google's HDR+ system. Both systems combine multiple images to create a final shot with more dynamic range and less noise, but Super HDR claims to do so more intelligently.

The 'semantic image segmentation model' categorizes every pixel in an image and assigns it a label, such as “road”, “sky”, “person” or “dog.” And now, Google has released its latest version as open source, making it available to any developers whose apps could benefit from the tech.